Abee hits career scoring milestone in recent Bulldogs’ win

Fletcher Abee set a new boys basketball career scoring standard at Freedom High School and is still filling up the hoop at the collegiate level.

A 2019 FHS graduate and Valdese native, Abee crossed the 1,000-point career scoring mark as he went for 15 in his UNC Asheville team’s home win Dec. 1.

The former two-time county prep player of the year has started all nine games for the 5-4 Bulldogs (one of three UNCA players to do so) and has hit for 25 points or more twice already for the reigning Big South Conference champions. The 6-foot-4 senior guard’s 12.4 points per game ranks third on the team to date.

UNCA visits mountain rival Western Carolina today (Saturday, Dec. 9) at 4 p.m.

County trio at L-R

Blaikley Crooks (Freedom 2020), a 5-11 senior preseason All-South Atlantic Conference selection, is living up to that billing so far.

Crooks is averaging a team-high and career-high 16.6 points to go with 4.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game (tied for team lead). She has set season-high marks of 25 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks already.

Also for the Lenoir-Rhyne women, Crooks’ fellow 2020 FHS grads Josie Hise and Jayda Glass are on the roster. Glass is averaging 1.6 ppg in five games, having made two 3-pointers, while Hise has yet to play this winter.

L-R looks to improve on its 4-3 record in today’s SAC home opener against Emory & Henry (2 p.m.).

County’s JUCO trio

The county’s junior college men’s hoops trio all met up for a second time this season on Nov. 29 in Hudson as Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute defeated visiting Catawba Valley Community College, 115-89.

For the Cobras, 6-5 sophomore guard James Freeman (Freedom 2020) had five points in that victory, while 6-3 Red Hawks freshmen Jayden Birchfield (Freedom 2020) and Jakari Dula (Freedom 2019) scored seven and two, respectively.

Birchfield is averaging 6.0 points and 3.7 rebounds (third on team), and Dula is averaging 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. (Freeman’s season statistics were not available.) Caldwell is 6-1 to date, and CVCC sports a 3-3 record.

Lail at Montreat

Sophomore forward Cierra Lail (Patton 2022) has seen action in seven games including four starts for the Cavaliers (6-4 overall, 4-1 NAIA Appalachian Athletic Conf.). She has pulled down 35 total rebounds (17 offensive; 5.0 total per game, fourth on team) to go with totals of 11 points, seven blocks, and five steals.

Rhone at Brevard 

Sophomore guard Christena Rhone (Freedom 2022) has played in all eight games so far for a 6-2 Tornados team. She averages 2.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, and 1.4 apg and is shooting at a .400 clip from 3-point range.

SWIMMING

Carswell at Sewanee

Freedom multi-record holder Riley Carswell (Freedom 2020) has gotten off to a strong start in her senior season in the pool. Most recently in Sewanee’s host Igloo Invitational on Nov. 17-18, Carswell was part of relay wins in the 200 free, 200 medley, and 400 medley events. Also at the meet, she placed third as part of the team’s podium sweep of the 200 back and took third in the 100 back and fourth in 1650 free (in a career-best 20:01.84).

At the 22nd annual Sewanee Invitational on Oct. 27-28, Carswell was part of fourth, fifth, and sixth-place relay finishes and also placed sixth in 50 back individually. And prior to that, in the season opener, Carswell was on a pair of winning relay squads and claimed first individually in the 100 back (1:04.87).

Huffman at Salem

Freshman Marabeth Huffman (East Burke 2023), who’s already involved in a second collegiate sport in Winston-Salem after playing soccer for the Spirits in the fall, finished first in the women’s 100 back (1:18.06), third in both the 100 and 500 free, and was a member of the second-place 400 free relay unit in a Dec. 2 home dual win over Warren Wilson.

WRESTLING

Khang at Mount Olive

Freshman women’s grappler Jeulenea Khang (Freedom 2023) has started her college career with a 3-3 record on the mat. In the Patriot Duals hosted by the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on Dec. 1-2, Khang won via 4-1 decision, 10-0 tech fall, and forfeit. Her team opened the season ranked 12th nationally among D-II squads.

FOOTBALL

County quartet at L-R

Four former county prep players have been along for the journey with Lenoir-Rhyne on the precipice of history on the gridiron.

Leading the way is Brett Childers (East Burke 2020), a junior defensive back who has won the Bears’ special teams player of the week award twice and who has collected seven tackles (four solo) in nine games. Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Will Cain (Patton 2019) has seen action in one game, and junior defensive back Chase Childers (East Burke 2020) and freshman tight end Randan Clarke (Patton 2023) are also listed on the team’s official roster online.

The No. 3 seed SAC champion Bears travel to Searcy, Ark., to face No. 2 Harding today at noon (ESPN+) in the program’s second all-time trip to the D-II national semifinals. L-R advanced to the game by downing Valdosta State 35-7 last weekend for the program’s first-ever road playoff win, tying the program record with a 13th win in the process.

VOLLEYBALL

Ex-Patton trio wraps up

Three former Lady Panther volleyball players excelled at the next level this fall. 

At MIT, junior outside hitter Ella Gragg (Patton 2021) posted 249 kills (third on team), with 219 digs, 38 aces, and 34 blocks in 33 matches (all starts). Her Engineers finished their season with a 31-5 record, losing in the regional final round of the NCAA D-III tournament.

Appalachian State sophomore defensive specialist/libero Kenady Roper (Patton 2022) supplied a team-high 352 digs in 25 matches, adding totals of 76 assists and 30 aces (both third on team). The Mountaineers finished 14-15, winning one game in the Sun Belt Conference tournament.

And Izora Gragg (Patton 2023) ended her freshman season at setter for UNC Greensboro with 385 assists (second on team) to go with 52 digs, 15 blocks, and 13 kills in 23 matches (10 starts) for the Spartans.

SOCCER

Lowman at Lees-McRae

Junior forward Haley Lowman (Draughn 2021) was one of six Bobcats women's players to be named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District NCAA D-II team. Lowman registered one goal and three assists in 16 games for Lees-McRae this fall. The exercise science major was also previously named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll in 2022.

TRACK

Clay at Catawba

Following another stellar cross country season, sophomore runner Madison Clay (Patton 2022) recently opened her indoor track winter season in Salisbury in similarly successful fashion.

At the Boston University Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener last weekend, Clay finished with a 5K time of 16:52 to both set a new school record and notch an NCAA provisional time in the event.

Paul Schenkel can be reached at 828-445-8595 or paul@thepaper.media.